Back For Good
by Misterious Minds
Summary: Amy left John with Ricky to go to New York City. She went to Julliard and is famous french horn player at the New York Philharmonic. John always missed his mom, but now that she is back after 15 years, he is not so shure about forgivin his absent mommy. Will Amy be able to find love in her son's heart, or is too late for that.
1. Chapter 1

\- Happy Father's Day! – I cheered my father when he entered our apartment dressed in his white apron.

\- Oh, thank you buddy. – He gave me a manly hug and taped my back. – I thought you would go out tonight. – He left the apron over the washing machine, like he always did, and saw the present I left there.

\- Nah… - I pretended that I hadn't seen his surprised face. – Rose is hangin' with her folks tonight. And I wanted to pass some great time with my old man.

\- Yea, yeah. – He shushed me while smiling, totally forgetting about what I was saying about my girlfriend. – Son, this is amazing! – He was holding Mike Jordan's Bulls shirt in front of his face. –Where did you find it?

\- Ebay, man. – I told him holding up my phone.

\- Thank you, son. – He gave me another hug to, just later, look suspicious at me. – Wait. How much was that?

\- Don't worry, Dad. – I gave him my best smile. – I saved the hole year for this. – He relaxed a bit. – Besides… You're the best father on the world. You deserve the best.

He chuckled and opened the fridge.

Yeah… The dinner… I forgot about it.

\- Let me guess… - Dad wondered, looking at the blankness in our fridge. – You bought me a Jordan's epic shirt, but forgot to go to the market.

I tried my best smile.

\- I'm sorry?

He laughed again, shaking his head.

-John Juergens… I don't know what I'm gonna do with you.

\- We could just sit and watch the game. – I told him, a little uncomfortable with the say of my hole name. – I'll ask for some popcorn to Bunny. Is she still in the shop?

He stared at me with a concerned look, but didn't say anything about _that_ subject.

\- Yes. She is.

\- Okay. So… I'll come back later. Choose the game. – I said before I closed the door.

You know… My name is John Juergens Underwood. I'm fifteen years old and live with my father since my fourth birthday in this little apartment upside a butcher shop.

I'm a result of one night at my father and mother's irresponsibility at high school. Aunt Ashley likes to address me as "the wonderful mistake of Amy". I don't get mad at her… She just likes to mess with me sometimes... Like I do to her when I call her the "younger Angelina Jolie".

My father is Richard Underwood, but every human being in town just call him Ricky. He's thirty one now and I can assure you he is the best father on every world. Why I would be so sure? Well… He was just a boy when he was left to take care of a child alone. When my mother wanted to have an abortion, he was the one to stop her. When my mother tried to give me away to someone, he was the one to convince her not to. He took me home when my mother left me to live her youth in New York. He never went to college just because he wanted me to live near my grandparents. He was there in the birthdays, Christmas, first days at school…

My mother, Amy Juergens, left me with my dad to go to College. She went to Julliard and, when my father was changing diapers and going through sleepless nights everytime I got sick, she was playing her french horn, going to parties and dating other boys.

She used to call every day. But then the daily calls turned into weekends calls, than just birthday calls. I always saw her at Christmas tough. When dad would drop me at my grandparents house and I would stay one long week with mommy, talking about the year and how I was doing.

I didn't like to be reminded of her son. She wasn't my mother at all. She gave me birth, but didn't raised me. Besides, dad would always tell me that I needed to remember and respect her, 'cause, no matter what happened, she was my mother and she loved me.

Yeah… Right…

He can call me Juergens whatever he wants. I am just John Underwood.

\- John?! – Someone woke me up from my daydreams. – What are you doing here, kid?

\- Hey, Bunny. – I gave my father's boss the best cocky smile I had. – I was wondering if you could lend me some popcorn?

\- Will you return it to me later? – She asked. My smile faded. – Just kidding. – She gave me a little bag full of tiny corns. – Go tell your father is my father's day present.

I laughed at her and turned on my heels to go upstairs.

Dad was talking on his phone.

And he was serious.

\- All right, I will talk to him. See you tomorrow. Bye.

I walked to him and handed the popcorn.

\- I brought the popcorn.

\- Put the game on. – He smiled. – I will cook it.

\- Okay… - I sat on the couch and turned on the TV. – Dad?

\- What?

\- Who was on the phone?

I could tell that he was thinking hard about something. After some time in silence, he spoke:

\- You mother. – I scoffed. – She asked my help for something.

Well… That's new.

\- What she wants now? – I asked with no emotion. Turning my attention back to sports channel.

\- John… - Dad started while shaking the pan. -… Don't talk about your mother like this. – I just rolled my eyes. – And… Well… She was asking to me help her find a house.

\- A house?! – I yelled. – Why does she need a house?!

\- Hey! Don't yell. – He was serious now.

\- Sorry.

\- She was transferred from the New York Philharmonic. The government will start some kind of music program here and she is like _the head_ of this project.

I forgot to tell you all… My mother is a big one in the Philharmonic world.

\- So she's coming back?

\- For good.

Fuck…

This is not going to be good.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy

Ben and Adrian gave me a ride to the JKF airport that morning. I would miss my friends, but I had the chance to stay with my family in the city I grew up, still working in something that I really loved to do and, best of all, near my son.

"Bye Amy". Ben held me the little suitcase I was caring with me to the plane. "Call us when you breathe the humid hot air" He laughed.

"Say hi to everyone." Adrian said with glassy eyes. "I will wait for your visit".

"Of course". I smiled to them. "I will be visiting you before the baby comes. And you are welcome to stay at my place when you visit The Old Valley".

I waved my last goodbye and left my friends at the huge lobby.

When the plane started to fly, I brought old memories from New York... Some good, some bad... The big city left me with no sleep for years. You get used to working hard, studying a lot and still finding some time late in the night to go to a jazz club and have a great time with your friends.

Ben and Adrian, for some destiny's prank, are my best friends in NYC. They started to date at the age of 24, and married at 28. Now, they are expecting their first child together after Mercy.

We would always hang out at jazz clubs, pubs, some college parties and lots of concerts. They watched the very first concert I ever made with the Philharmonic, and the progress I've made in my work. They would interrogate my boyfriends in parent's style and always helped my issues with John.

About that… I regret so many things... I should have never left him alone with Ricky. I was his mom, for God's sake! I should have been there when he was growing up! I didn't participate in his life like a mother should; instead, I was taking care of me and my _brilliant_ future as a musician.

I was young, stupid and selfish.

Hundreds of mistakes... But while I was growing up, I started to understand the world... At some point I started to feel and think like an adult and that's when I saw what a terrible human being I was.

But it was too late to feel sorry for myself and stay stuck at the universe of _what if's_. So I started a plan.

I started asking Ricky for forgiveness and he was so understanding and supportive in helping me fix the mother-son relationship with John that I couldn't recognize the old Ricky I knew back in California. But that made me really happy at the time.

When I graduated and started playing in the Philharmonic, I started to send money to John through Ricky, in order to buy things that our son wanted but Ricky couldn't afford like good clothes, going out to a cinema with friends, buying him a new Playstation, books, or just savings to his future education.

I tried to call, but my son didn't want to talk to me. So I just called with Ricky every day and talked about our son's life.

John hates me, and I completely understand him.

I could see all the abandon, hurt and betrayal inside his blue eyes every Christmas that we spent together in my parents' house. He allowed me just small talks, like what he did in the year, how was his grades at school, NBA, weather, etc... Nothing too personal.

Two years ago I got my promotion, and the last part of my plan became reality. I proposed USDAC a music project at Glenn Valey and the government approved it, sending me to California to start my own work. Some musicians were too transferred to California to work with me as a team in this project. We would train kids who were interested in playing some instrument in a big orchestra or Philharmonic, redirecting them to the best groups in the whole world.

I loved music, and loved doing great things to it's future. But in reality, I did this just to stay near my son. It took some great time, but I got it.

I was going back home.

-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-xBFGx-

The moment I put my feet in Los Angeles I felt the heat and humid air, and I confess that this made me a little uncomfortable. The bright blue sky was so different from New York. I already missed the huge skyline, the One World Trade Center, The giant Brooklyn Bridge, The pubs, and, incredibly, the traffic.

I took my few bags and crossed the lobby looking for a cab. An old man gave me a sign telling me that he was free, put my luggage in his car's trunk and asked "Where to?"

"Valley Glen" I answered him and, when he started to drive, I stared at the city through the window.

I've been there a lot since I moved to New York. Every Christmas I would come here to stay one week with my parents, Ashley, Robbie and my son, but it was always so fast or I would just stay with my head in work, and I never took time to really visit the city and remember the places where I used to hang out as a teen.

But now, in this slow drive to my mother's house I could feel a little nostalgic. At Sepulveda Boulevard I saw the park I went with Ben when he asked me in marriage. That brought me tears and a smile to my face at the same time, how long was that... It looks like that happened yesterday!

But when we passed in front of Ulysses Grant High was the moment that I started to sob. I was 30 years old now and 15 years back in time I was entering that building for the first time, with a scared look in my face and a baby inside my belly.

Things changed a lot. We all grew older, took different destinations and had our own lives. Who could tell at that time that I and Adrian would become best friends? That Ricky would be a responsible man and loving father? That Jack and Grace would be rich and famous? That Lauren would become a shrink and be able to keep secrets for herself?

A lot had changed... My parents changed... Ricky changed... I changed... John changed.

"Are you okay, miss?" The driver asked me.

"Yes, it's just... It just brings me lots of memories".

"You don't look like a Californian woman. Where are you from?"

"I lived here until 18, and then I moved to New York."

"I always wanted to visit the Big Apple. It's amazing at TV shows and magazines."

"It's really beautiful. You should go there one day" I smiled

"Are you visiting?"

"No... I'm back for good this time."

"So... Welcome back miss..." Somehow, he seemed surprised and proud that a woman would change that big grey city to the crazy, hot and happy California.

"Amy". I answered him.

"Welcome back to California, Amy" He smiled.

"Thank you very much" I nodded with a little smile.


End file.
